Louie Zamora came from nothing to become one of his most influential inline skaters. He was a street skater whose video parts still hold up, a contest skater who podiumed at X and Gravity, an entrepreneur who was responsible for important brands, and a victim of the opioid crisis that's turning his life around. This podcast was a fun and heavy way to catch up with an old friend and relive his past. Eric Schrijn asks the Inappropriate Questions.
Louie Zamora Show Notes
3:30: Revenge of the Nerds, LA life, being small, video games, and moving to San Diego
14:00: Beach culture, inline skates, it's so natural, culture, proving himself to the Esco Zoo
15:30: Product testing with Rollerblade, hammers, and injuries
21:00: Stanley: Get 30% off sitewide with the code drinkfast
Peter Glenn Ski and Sports: Over 60 years of getting you out there
10 Barrel Brewery: Buy their beers; they support action sports more than anyone
23:00: Getting flowed Rollerblade skates, Randy Spizer, getting a contract from Rollerblade, and Senate
32:00: His HS life, going to K2, and contests
40:00: Rollerblade: Ski season may be over, but that feeling lasts all year with inline skating
Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better
42:00: Being too cool for things, Gravity Games, X-Games, and a tour bus ending an era at K2
51:00: Creating a skate brand on an airplane, not seeing eye to eye with Powerslide, and leaving skating for the first time
58:00: Coming back to K2, creating a program together, our falling out and Orien Live
64:00: Getting hit by a car, addiction and isolation, living on the streets, and getting life back together
60:00: Inappropriate Questions with Eric Schrijn
Mike Adams’s legendary 45-year career in snow business has come to an end. I was able to catch up with the man responsible for some of the most iconic products of our time during his last week in the industry. It’s a history lesson of the business from the man responsible for bringing the shaped ski to North America. The podcast talks about all things Moog, Molnar, Elan, Salomon, and Atomic. It’s another don’t miss business episode with a true snow sports legend.
Mike Adams Show Notes:
3:30: Salomon inline skates, his childhood and skiing racing
12:30: Pranks at Holderness; how does he get his Moog and Molnar jobs, Geze, president of Elan and the Montauk sales group
18:15: Stanley: Get 30% off sitewide with the code drinkfast
Peter Glenn Ski and Sports: Over 60 years of getting you out there
10 Barrel Brewery: Buy their beers; they support action sports more than anyone
27:15: Sidecut Extreme, bringing it to the US, the SCX takes over and pitching Salomon on the SCX
31:00: The X-Scream, the Snow-Blade, and the 1080
39:00: Rollerblade: Ski season may be over, but that feeling lasts all year with inline skating
Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better
40:30: Salomon Snowboards, the Amer purchase, and bringing Atomic back to life
56:00: Overseeing Atomic and Salomon at the same time, new ownership, and going away from a portfolio management system the day Mike leaves
65:00: Inappropriate Questions
Nick Sargent is the SIA President who moved the business and sold its key revenue generator, the SIA Tradeshow...but he’s so much more than that. Nick came up as a race tech on the World Cup, parlayed that into a gig managing Salomon’s Olympic efforts, then it was on to Burton before taking over at the SIA. These days, Nick is navigating some challenging waters, and we talk about his key moves, the OR Show, consumer shows he’s bought, and a lot more. Industry OG Chris Licata asks the Inappropriate Questions
Nick Sargent Show Notes:
3:30: OR recap, growing up at Stowe, skiing, snowboarding, racing, and flunking out at Western State
12:30: Back to Western State, learning ski tuning, Dynastar Race Service, and landing a job at Salomon around the Olympics
25:00: Stanley: Get 30% off site wide with the code drinkfast
Peter Glenn Ski and Sports: Over 60 years of getting you out there
10 Barrel Brewery: Buy their beers; they support action sports more than anyone
27:15: Selling Burton, Jake Burton and his encouragement for the partnerships, and learning to snowboard in a couple of hours
35:00: Pottery Barn/Burton, digital product, how does the ball get rolling at the SIA, and moving the SIA
43:30: Rollerblade: Ski season may be over, but that feeling lasts all year with inline skating
Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better
45:30: Are you the bad guy for moving the SIA, the loss of institutional knowledge, brand consolidation, and selling his revenue generator, the SIA Tradeshow, to OR
56:00: The pandemic and buying the BEWI Shows, selling his consumer Snowbound Festival before having one, and how does selling SIA to OR benefit Winter Sports?
63:00: What does the SIA do for paying members, and OR is moving back to SLC
74:00: Inappropriate Questions with Chris Licata
Louie Vito has done it all: Champion snowboarder, reality TV star on ‘Dancing with the Stars’, playing himself in the sequel to ‘Point Break’, and there is so much more to him. On part 2 with Louie, we dive into sponsors, contests, Danny Kass and the Grenade Crew, the fact that no brand ever put big marketing dollars behind him, and so much more. Louie is not the guy I thought he was going to be, he’s the hardest man working on the game. And a badass in his own right, Toby Miller, asks the Inappropriate Questions.
Louie Vito Show Notes:
3:30: Wanting to be pro at 5, quitting other sports, Sims, and the Rick Kane analogy for Stratton Mountain School
14:00: Sleeping in his Burton boots, who is he in school with, 2002 Olympics, and his first big injury
22:00: Stanley: Get 30% off site wide with the code drinkfast
Peter Glenn Ski and Sports: Over 60 years of getting you out there
10 Barrel Brewery: Buy their beers, they support action sports more than anyone
24:00: Forum, O-Matic, Volcom, not getting sponsor support, snowboarding being too school for school, and Natural Selection
36:00: Podiums, first X Games, Danny Kass, and no pressure but trouble at Aspen X
42:00: Rollerblade: Ski season may be over but that feeling lasts all year with inline skating
Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better
44:00: Unhealthy sponsors (Energy Drinks and Fast Food), important sponsors (Toyota, G-Shock, Melin, Ethica, Wienerschnitzel), what he spends his money on and is there another Olympic run?
60:00: Inappropriate Questions with Toby Miller